212 



PHYSICAL HISTORY OF MAN. 



over, were married to European residents of tlie first respectability ; 

 having been carefully educated, they proved elegant and accomplished 

 companions. 



At Zanzibar, I met with but one of the Northern Galla ; a slave- 

 woman, who called her nation ' Chory ;' and who, according to her 

 own account, came "by the way of Mocha from Massowa." The 

 point of embarkation, interposes ari objection to affinity with the Bi- 

 shareen; and she was expressly termed a Galla by the Arabs in com- 

 pany. 



The Southern Galla, are rarely slaves ; but I heard of an in- 

 stance, in a ' Musagna' woman, who was the only representative of 

 these tribes at Zanzibar. It was said, that in times of scarcity, the 

 Southern Galla will sell some of their number; who however are not 

 esteemed ; for when directed to perform any service, they will ask 

 questions, or reply, "go and do it yourself." 



The nation is well known by report at Zanzibar, as frequenting 

 the western bank of the Oozy, and intercepting the land-route from 

 Mombas to Lamo ; and as visiting the settlements on the coast, for 

 the purposes either of plunder or traffic. The Southern Galla refuse 

 vegetable food, and live exclusively on milk and meat; the only sem- 

 blance of an exception that I could hear of, being the fact, that they 

 have been known to "steal corn from the people of Brava." 



The Sultan of Patta, and an Arab who was present at the inter- 

 view, gave me the following account of the Southern Galla. "Their 

 country is called ' Bararata,'* and is situated eight days journey 

 from Patta;" perhaps not including the "two days to the river 

 Oozy, where they come to trade. They bring cattle, which have a 

 hump; and which are greatly superior to the Indian cattle at Zan- 

 zibar. They have camels, which they use for carrying burdens, but 

 not for riding. They elect a king every eight years; and the new 

 king circumcises his subjects. They shave the head, preserving a 

 lock of hair on it for every man they have killed. Their king, when 

 sent for, will come to Oozy ; and if a present were made, he would 

 be willing to take an unattended European into the country, and 

 would bring him back in safety ; but if several persons wished to go, 



* As the transfer of Geographical names serves to iHustrate history, the resemblance 

 may be here noted to Bahratta or Mahratta, " the ancient name of India." 



